Child and Teen-Specific Issues
TEST ANXIETY
Text anxiety can be very frustrating, as it impedes a student's ability to perform at their actual skill level. Students may excessively prepare, spending hours and hours studying the material, and then have their mind go "blank" during the test or exam. They often experience sleep difficulty before a test, and worry excessively after the test is done.
SCHOOL REFUSAL
A child may refuse to go to school due to a fear of something bad happening at school or wanting to avoid the discomfort that they experience at school. They will likely complain of having physical symptoms like a stomachache or headache before school, which are relieved when they are allowed to stay home.
SEPARATION ANXIETY
Children with Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD) are extremely worried and distressed about being apart from loved ones. They may fear that something bad will happen to themselves or to a loved one if he or she is not with the person, and will often resist ever being left alone. They will "check in" frequently by text and phone and seek reassurance.
SELECTIVE MUTISM
A child with Selective Mutism may find certain social situations extremely stressful. The specific setting may cause anxiety so severe that the child feels unable to speak. It is called selective mutism because the child is only mute in select situations. For instance, a child may not be able to speak at school, but can speak with no problem at home.
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE
DISORDER (OCD)
GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder involves excessive worry that feels uncontrollable and causes intense emotional distress. People with GAD tend to feel "on edge" most of the time and anticipate threats in neutral situations. They typically find it challenging to relax and enjoy life.
SOCIAL ANXIETY
Social phobia is the persistent fear of social situations in which a person is afraid of being scrutinized by others or fears that they will act in an embarrassing way. Folks with social phobia often describe themselves as "shy" and will either avoid social interactions or endure them with extreme discomfort.
ILLNESS ANXIETY (HEALTH ANXIETY)
Health Anxiety involves a deep fear of having a serious or life-threatening illness despite few or no symptoms. People with health anxiety tend to pay excessive attention to bodily sensations and functions, often research illnesses online, and may seek frequent reassurance about health.
SKIN PICKING (EXCORIATION)
Skin-picking is a Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB) in which a person picks in attempt to "fix" perceived imperfections on the skin including scabs, ingrown hairs, or bumps. Many people who struggle with this problem feel alone and misunderstood and try to hide it from family and friends.
HAIR PULLING (TRICHOTILLOMANIA)
Trichotillomania is a BFRB that involves recurrent, compulsive urges to pull out hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or other areas of the body, despite trying to stop. There may be an increasing sense of tension before pulling, and a sense of pleasure or relief after a hair is pulled.
BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER (BDD)
BDD is a body image disorder in which a person will fixate on a perceived flaw in their appearance. They spend a great deal of time analyzing their appearance and checking mirrors, and will often socially isolate out of fear of judgement from others. They may do extensive research on ways to "fix" their perceived flaw, including cosmetic surgery.
SPORT/PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
Performance anxiety is common among athletes, musicians, surgeons, public speakers, and others in performance roles. They may experience an overwhelming feeling of pressure or a fear of failure that leads to "freezing" or "choking," which interferes with their ability to perform at their best.
CLINICAL PERFECTIONISM
Clinical Perfectionism is characterized by having extremely high standards for oneself, accompanied by harsh self-critical evaluations when these impossible standards are inevitably not met. This often includes a deep fear of making a mistake, and results in high levels of general distress and impairment.
PROCRASTINATION & TIME MANAGEMENT
People procrastinate for a variety of reasons including feeling anxious or insecure about the task, thinking that it will be too boring, over-estimating the amount of time they have to complete it, or believing that they work better under last-minute pressure. While it can relieve anxiety in the short-term, procrastination often leads to higher stress levels overall.